When I published Tommy Gemmell’s book All The Best in 2014 I organised a Q&A with him with a group of Celtic Supporters who got the chance to question the Celtic legend on any subject they liked. Tommy was on wonderful form, despite his failing health. I got to know Tommy well as a good friend over the final few years of his life, living nearby him in Dunblane. He would always brighten up as soon as the conversation got round to his time at Celtic. Incidentally at the time before Brendan Rodgers was appointed as Celtic manager he reckoned that Roy Keane would be the man to come in to sort out a weak-minded Celtic dressing room to get the best out of the players.
Tommy was determined to go to another game and we organised everything to bring him to the last away game for Ronny Deila up at St Johnstone. Celtic lost 2-1 that night and it was the game that was later remembered as the last time Celtic had lost a match as the unbeaten run of league games was about to get underway. Sadly Tommy wasn’t able to make that game but was able to share his opinion the next day on what went wrong!
We lost Tommy on this day in 2017 and today the Celtic family will remember him fondly! Here is Tommy in great form answering questions submitted by Celtic Supporters….
When you chased that German to boot him up the bahoochie, was it the fastest you had ever run and the hardest you had ever kicked? And was it the first time you completely missed the ball?
That was the angriest I have ever been on a football pitch. Helmut Haller deliberately tripped me just as I was about to shoot from my favourite distance – about 30 yards out – and I just saw red. There was a minute to go and Scotland were losing 3-2 to West Germany in Hamburg in a vital qualifier for the World Cup Finals in Mexico in 1970.
It was bad enough being fouled, but what really got me going was the fact the referee didn’t even award Scotland a free-kick. When I turned round I could see Haller running for cover, but I just made a beeline for him. Was it the hardest I had ever kicked? My shots were measured at around 80-miles-per-hour and I think he got the motherload! And, yes, it was the first time I had meant to miss the ball.
Big Tam, your free-kick goal against Benfica is etched on the memory, as is the arse-kicking in the World Club Championship debacle. Can you tell me something about these two incidents in your career?
First up, the goal against Benfica wasn’t a free-kick. Wee Bertie took the deadball effort and rolled the ball in front of me about 25 yards out. I just gave it a mighty whack with my right foot and was delighted to see the ball soar into the far corner.
That European Cup-tie came shortly after I had been dropped by Jock Stein for the 1969 League Cup Final against St.Johnstone. He wasn’t happy that I had been sent off in the midweek game against West Germany. But I was brought back against the Portuguese giants and was happy to play my part in a 3-0 victory. I wasn’t proud of kicking the Racing Club player where the sun don’t shine, but I’m afraid I had just had enough of the Argentines spitting, kicking and elbowing me during our three games against them. I just exploded. I’m only human, after all.
Tommy, how long did you play for Meadow Thistle and did you ever bring the Big Cup back to Craigneuk or is that simply Craigneuk folklore?
What a good memory! No-one ever asks me about my career with Meadow Thistle! I played for them when I was 14-years-old and we had a reasonable team. I recall a player by the name of Tom Duddy who joined Celtic. He never played a first team game, but went onto sign for Cowdenbeath and then Airdrie. And there was a bloke called Eddie King who joined Hibs. I played in the morning for my school team and turned out for Meadow Thistle in the afternoon. Happy days! And, yes, I did take the European Cup trophy to Craigneuk to show it off to our neighbours.
My parents were at Celtic Park when we returned from Lisbon the day after the Inter Milan game. Following all the celebrations at the park, I took a ‘loan’ of the silverware for the rest of the evening. Incredible! Could you imagine that happening today? I simply lifted the Big Cup and took it over to where I stayed with my parents in Craigneuk. There seemed to be about 300 people there to welcome me home. It was just fabulous. My parents’ home was a second floor apartment and I think everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – crammed into their wee place that night.
Big Tam, I think you kicked that bassa from Racing Club harder in Montevideo! Hardly anyone in the stadium saw it except for the TV cameraman. Belter! Can you tell me why you kicked him?
I’m pretty sure the guy’s name was Norberto Raffo. He had been at it against us in the games in Glasgow and Beunos Aires. He was a streetwise guy. He would spit on you, tap you on the ankles and give you a dig in the ribs. But when you tried to give him a dull one, he was alert and sneaky enough to get out of the way. He would jump out of tackles and leave you frustrated. When there was yet another lull in play he was standing there, just smirking. I lost it. That’s when I decided to mete out some justice on behalf of myself and my team-mates. I’m not proud of it, but he had it coming.
When you kicked that German player in the Germany-Scotland game (3-2 defeat) was it frustration because Muller fouled in the build-up to the German goal or did that particular player do something to annoy you?
No, it wasn’t Gerd Muller who fouled me. As I have answered, it was Haller. Gerd was great at sticking his backside into defenders and making it virtually impossible for them to get in a tackle, but, on this occasion, it was their midfield player Haller who did the dirty. By the way, I didn’t realise he could move so fast!
Tommy, thanks for many of my finest memories. My questions are. ‘What was in your mind when you stepped up to take a penalty-kick? And did those thoughts change the more penalties you took?’
My main thought when I was taking a penalty was to get the ball on target. Obviously, that was a must! And I wanted to hit it as hard as possible. With that combination, I reckoned I stood a good chance of scoring a goal. I made my mind up very early in my career that was the way to take them. I rarely changed my mind when we got an award. Get it bang on the button and leave the problem with the goalie!
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Can you recall the most motivational team talk that you heard from a manager? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?
Not a lot of people know this, but most of Jock Stein’s team talks were done well before a game. He would go through everything in meticulous detail when we were at our training HQ at Seamill. He would drum things into us and, come the day of the game, he would go round us all individually and say, ‘Now remember what we spoke about. You know how this guy plays, don’t forget what I told you.’ And so on. Yes, he had the ability to change things if it wasn’t going to plan, but, thankfully, most times it did. But it was Seamill where the real hard work was done regarding tactics and suchlike.
What were your feelings about the non-PC chant about you coined by the fans of yon Glasgow team no longer in existence?
Aye, I used to get it in the neck from the Rangers support – presumably it’s the Ibrox club to which you refer! – but it didn’t bother me one little bit. If they were giving me stick, then they were leaving someone else alone. And, by the way, I do have a birth certificate to prove I wasn’t born out of wedlock.
Tommy, The Big Shot was my first Celtic book – ‘that’s me in the middle’ comment about the Front cover picture, had my brother confused…braw ….do you still shoot? And what is the name o yer dug?
Yes, I used to go shooting, mainly for pheasant, duck or geese. But, no, I don’t indulge these days which is good news for the wildlife in Perthshire! I still enjoy a spot of fishing, though. My dog’s name was ‘Jock’! Honestly, it was good to be able to order ‘Jock’ around for a change.
Tommy, did you meet Danny Kaye when he stayed at the Central Hotel? And can you rank in order these three footballing greats: Jinky, Dalglish and Best?
Sadly, I never did get to meet Danny Kaye. Do you know people in the States used to say to him all the time, ‘You look a helluva lot like Tommy Gemmell’?
I don’t know about his ability as a footballer, but I reckon I was a better singer than him. And better looking.
As far as Jinky, Bestie and Kenny, that’s a very difficult question. For a start, they were three entirely different types of players. Jinky was a real box of tricks with fabulous dribbling skills and unbelievable close control whereas Bestie was a lot more direct when he was taking on an opponent. Kenny was obviously more of a goal threat than the other two and he was very accomplished at holding up the ball and bringing other players into the game. For me, they were all world class. However, if you twist my arm, I would put them in this order: 1: Jinky; 2: Bestie; 3: Kenny.
How did you feel when you won the Scottish League Cup for Dundee against the Hoops back in 1973? I imagine it was a combination of professionalism, sadness and delight? But would like your thoughts? All the best Big Man, you were my wee maw’s favourite player.
Embarrassed was my main emotion after the League Cup win. I was captain of Dundee and I had to go up those stairs to be presented with the silverware. Actually, I felt a bit like an imposter because of my ties with Celtic. However, I had a job to do with Dundee and I remember Gordon Wallace’s goal that wet, windy and muddy afternoon at Hampden. I always thought Gordon was hugely under-rated and deserved his 15 minutes of fame. By the way, your wee maw’s got great taste!
What were your favourite moments against Rangers as both a player and a supporter?
Any win against our old rivals was always welcome. Remember, I came into the Celtic team in the early sixties when we were getting regularly turned over by the Ibrox side. So, it was great to be around when things changed so dramatically.
One game that sticks out is the League Cup Final win over them in October 1965. We had won the Scottish Cup by beating Dunfermline 3-2 the previous April. For the first time as far as I could remember, the bookies actually made us favourites to win the trophy that day. Thankfully, they didn’t get it wrong and Big Yogi, John Hughes, had his shooting boots on as he smacked two penalty-kicks behind Billy Ritchie and we went on to win 2-1. I couldn’t have done better myself! As a supporter, my boyhood team was my local side Motherwell. Believe it or not, I never saw them play Rangers.
Paolo Maldini was a great left back, but only number 2 in the all-time list after yourself…and he never scored as many goals as you did! Are you proud to be recognised as the best-ever left-back?
Thank you very much for the compliment. Actually, I knew Big Jock rated me as the best in the world, but he never told me. He was talking to his good friend Tony Queen, a well-known bookie, when he made the observation. Tony pledged me to secrecy when he told me later. Maldini was a fantastic defender. Of course, he settled into a more central role with AC Milan in later years, but he was wonderful at left-back. He didn’t attack too much, saving himself for set-plays.
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Tommy, I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting you in Dubai around 10 years ago along with Billy McNeill. Anyway, my questions relate to the rise of the modern ‘super teams’ like Barca and Real Madrid with seemingly unlimited finances who can sign the best players from all over the world and who can compete at the highest level year after year by buying the best players from every country. My first question is, ‘In 1967 and 1970 teams were still largely dominated by home-based players. How would the Lisbon Lions have fared in the current Champions League against these modern teams with unlimited cash to spend and the ability to assemble the world’s best players in one team?’ My second question is, ‘If not all of them, which of the Lions would today’s Barcas and Madrids try to sign?’ And my third question is, ‘Do you think you ever scored a better goal than your brother Archie did against Holland?’ (Okay, I’m chancing my arm with that one! But I know you like a laugh!)
I’ll need to go and lie in a darkened room after I’ve answered all these. Okay, to answer your first question I would say you could spend as much money as you like, but it doesn’t guarantee success. It helps, of course, but splashing wads of dosh won’t, in itself, mean trophies piling up in the boardroom.
The Lisbon Lions cost exactly £42,000 to assemble – £30,000 to Hearts for Willie Wallace and £12,000 to Birmingham City for Bertie Auld. Ronnie Simpson was bought from Hibs, but the fee was so small apparently that no-one took a record of it. What a bargain!
We had wonderful team spirit, though, and an unbeatable camaraderie throughout the team. Money couldn’t have bought those qualities. So, I firmly believe any team with that attitude and outlook would be successful anywhere in any era.
Secondly, the Barcas and the Madrids might have wanted to buy all of the Lions, but we came as a package. It would be difficult to envisage Bobby Murdoch playing without his little sidekick Bertie on his left, for instance. Or Big Billy without John Clark.
Thirdly, Archie’s goal against Holland in the 1978 World Cup Finals was a thing of beauty, no doubt about that. It wasn’t the type of goal I could have scored, but, then, I don’t remember Archie crashing in 30-yarders in his career. By the way, you do realise the spelling of his surname is Gemmill and not Gemmell, don’t you? We’re not related and, unfortunately, played only once together in an international. It was against Belgium in Liege in 1971 and we lost 3-0, so maybe the combination didn’t work!
You speak of the Lisbon Lions and their different strengths and how the team gelled to make it magic. Has there ever been another team you have seen or played against that struck you as having similar qualities to those of the Lions?
The Real Madrid side that swept all before them in the early sixties immediately comes to mind. They were a beautiful team to watch, a real combination of skill and, when it was required, steel. They had so many graceful players such as Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento. No-one who witnessed it, will ever forget their 7-3 European Cup Final win over Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden in 1960. What a spectacle that was. I recall the West Germans pulling back a goal, I think that made it 6-2. But straight from the kick-off, Di Stefano hared straight through their defence and hammered No.7 behind their keeper. It was a bit like, ‘How dare you score against us!’
By the way, how’s this for a thought? Eintracht took 12 goals off Rangers as they won home and away in their sem-final. And Real took seven off them. Makes you wonder what the final score at Hampden might have been that day had Rangers got through. Lucky escape methinks!
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Tommy Gemmell. Scorer in Lisbon in a European Cup Final for Celtic. Tommy Gemmell. Scorer in Milan in a European Cup Final for Celtic. Humbly put Tam, I only dream of dreaming of those heights with Celtic. Do you know just how much you mean to the Celtic family?
Yes and I’m very grateful, too. I’ve had a lot of respect from the Celtic family almost from day one. The supporters were great to me very early in my career and I’m delighted I may have been able to pay them back in some manner. I think I was fairly consistent throughout my Celtic career and I was also lucky enough to score a few spectacular goals. If I gave you and fellow-Celtic fans a happy memory or two, then I did my job.
Can you give us some comparison on the current Celtic players versus the Lisbon Lions? Do present-day Celtic supporters get better value for money now or in your day?
I believe the Lisbon Lions are incomparable and I hope I don’t sound conceited in saying that. The Lions simply gelled and, when we sparked, I believe we were the best club side in the world. As regards value for money, I think it was more exciting and entertaining in my day. But it is also fair to say that players such as Wee Jinky, Bertie, Bobby Murdoch, Caesar and Faither in goal only come along once in a lifetime. It was a happy coincidence we were all at Celtic at the same time.
Big Tam, you scored 63 goals in 418 games for Celtic. That’s a better ratio than some of current strikers! Could you have played centre-forward?
The quick answer is ‘No’. A huge percentage of my goals came from long distance when I backed up the forwards. So, although I scored a few goals, they weren’t the type of strikes you would associate with guys such as Stevie Chalmers, Bobby Lennox, Willie Wallace or Joe McBride. They did their best work in and around the penalty box. I was happy to leave the goalscoring to the guys who knew what they were doing.
King Lud or Era Bar?
Great question! Two pubs in Craigneuk when I was growing up. I didn’t have a favourite – I was far too young to drink! However, I do recall collecting empty beer bottles and returning them to the pubs. I think you got a penny on the empties. I made an absolute fortune in that area!
How do you see the future of Celtic and Scottish football generally and what action can be taken to ensure a fairer distribution of TV revenues are received by Scottish clubs?
That’s up to the authorities to decide. The SFA and the League need to negotiate the best deals for our football clubs in general. There’s a lot to be considered, crowd money, TV deals, sponsorship and so on. As for Celtic’s future, it would be highly intriguing if they ever got the opportunity to play in England. That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? At the moment, though, I think we should concentrate on building a team that will rule domestically and perform consistently well in Europe. Just like the good old days!
Can you tell us about your party piece? The German Song?
Oh, you mean, ‘Fritz a Grand Old Team To Play For’? Yes, I have been known to belt that out at parties. Normally, I start off with a bit of Sinatra, but it’s not long before the ‘German Song’ gets an airing!
Serious question this time. Wee Deedle Henderson claims you cheated when playing against him. Is it true you breathed on his contact lens before and during the game to restrict his vision?
Yes, of course, I did – anything to give Celtic an advantage over the old enemy! Seriously, though, Wee Willie was a marvelous winger and we had some memorable jousts. He was lightning quick and he never gave me a minute’s peace when we were facing each other. I think Wee Willie would be the first to admit that I played him hard, but fair. Do you know we are still pals to this day? He was at my 70th birthday party last year.
What’s the story with Jinky’s night out with a young Gordon Strachan while they were both at Dundee and you were the manager? I think Wee Gordon became teetotal after that night!
Actually, I’ve talked about this impromptu drinking double-act in the book (All The Best). Yes, I had to give the current Scotland manager a bollocking. I told him, ‘Don’t go near that little bugger again!’ For the sake of his liver, I don’t think he ever did. Jinky? What could I say to my wee mate? He would just smile back and that was the end of the matter.
Tommy and the Lions gave the Celts more pleasure than all the tea in China ever could. No need for alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or anything else. Just watch that game. Happy days. How lucky the older generation were to have that team to watch. What was your most memorable match domestically as a Celt?
There is little doubt the 3-2 success over Dunfermline in the 1965 Scottish Cup Final was a major turning point in Celtic’s history. Before that game, the last trophy the club had won was the League Cup when we beat Rangers 7-1 in season 1957/58. That was quite a gap that had to be filled. We did that against a very good Fifers team in that Final. The victory gave us confidence and kicked off a very enjoyable winning habit. That was a big win for Celtic and the support.
Mr Gemmell, what was the feeling of the Celtic team of that era regarding the lack of International recognition of Celtic players? Did they care or was it just accepted as typical of the regime and their referees!
We always had the feeling back then that the SFA was very definitely Rangers orientated. And I mean that as no disrespect to the Rangers players who were chosen to represent their country – they weren’t the ones doing the selecting, after all.
However, it got to such a situation that the SFA couldn’t ignore what we were achieving at Celtic. They HAD to bring our players into their squads and teams. All of the Lisbon Lions won full caps with the curious exception of Wee Bertie. That still amazes me to this day. My little chum was undoubtedly one of the finest left-sided midfielders of my era and, on his day, was simply mesmerising. But Bertie, of course, was never slow to speak his mind and maybe the blazers at Park Gardens thought they had enough on their plate dealing with Wee Jinky!
Obviously, in hindsight, Big Jock cannot be criticised for his team selection on that day in 1967, but on the day prior to kick-off when the team was announced, was there a player who’s exclusion from the line-up raised eyebrows in the dressing room amongst his fellow team-mates and you?
The outcome of the European Cup Final tells you Big Jock got his team selection spot on. Remember, this was the same line-up that had earned the goalless draw against Dukla Prague in Czecholsovakia to get us to Lisbon. Also, it was the same selection that had beaten Aberdeen 2-0 in the Scottish Cup Final only a few days after Prague. So, it was a fairly settled formation. Players such as John Hughes, in particular, Willie O’Neill, Charlie Gallagher and Joe McBride made solid contributions earlier in the competition, but the team that beat Inter Milan was obviously the right one for the occasion.
Henrik Larsson at his peak, would he have got into the starting line-up for Lisbon 1967?
You only need to read this book to discover how highly I rated Henrik. But, no, I wouldn’t have had dropped anyone to get him into the Lisbon team. Here’s a good wee story, though. Jim Craig was working for Celtic TV at the time and he was interviewing Wee Bertie. He asked Bertie the same question. He thought for a moment and said, ‘Let’s see now. I think I would have chosen Simpson, Larsson and Gemmell.’ Not sure if Cairney saw the funny side!
Tommy, who were the biggest cheats that you played against? Also, how good was that Benfica side which we demolished 3-0?
Easy answer to the first question – Racing Club of Buenos Aires by a mile. I talk about these poor excuses for sportsmen elsewhere, but all I would add is Sir Alf Ramsey got it right after England had played Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final in 1966. Alf didn’t hold back when he was asked about the performances of his country’s opponents that day. He branded them ‘animals’. Which is a bit of an insult to the wild life out there.
On the second question, that Benfica team was one of the best we had ever played. Any line-up with Eusebio in it is bound to be handy. We were brilliant the night we beat them 3-0 and my goal, as you will undoubtedly know by now, is still one of my all-time favourites. They gave us a bit of a doing in Lisbon, though. They really went at us and it was 2-0 with only a minute to go when they tied the game 3-3 on aggregate. We managed to get through a fairly hectic thirty minutes in extra-time before Cesar called it right when it came to the toss of the coin. Thank goodness!
Question for Tommy, straight from the hip. A relative of mine travelled on the team plane to the Feynoord Final. He told me all was not well on the flight over and that he thought you and Jinky at one stage threatened not to play until a bonus dispute was resolved. Is that true? And, if so, could it have affected performances in the Final?
Absolutely not true! Someone’s definitely got their wires crossed. Does your relative enjoy Duty Free before flights! There’s no truth in that whatsoever. Jinky and I refusing to play in Milan? Are you kidding? If that had been the case, Big Jock would have booted us off the plane while we were a few thousand feet up in the air.
Yes, I’ve heard so many stories about a bonuses row before the game, but if it happened I wasn’t aware of it. We never knew what sort of extra payment we would get from the club. That was left with the directors. For instance, if we won the Scottish Cup we would probably find an extra £250 in our wage packet the following week. Pay advice would tell you what the extra money was for.
We were beaten by a very good Feyenoord side in that Final. Give them credit for the performance of a lifetime. They caught us totally unawares and were a far superior team than we expected. End of story.
Tommy, how did the team prepare for the Final in Milan and how did this compare to the preparation for Lisbon? In particular, how did both the players and manager’s approach differ regarding the build-up to these two Finals?
Sadly, I have to say it was night and day. We were well primed for the 1967 game against Inter Milan. Big Jock left absolutely nothing to chance. Three years later it was a different story. Possibly, we thought we were as good as European champions after our home-and-away wins against the seemingly ‘invincible’ Leeds United in the semi-final.
I wouldn’t say we were complacent against Feyenoord, but we might just have been a bit over-confident. The pre-match planning just wasn’t the same and it was most unlike Big Jock to under-rate opponents. On this occasion, alas, that’s exactly what he did. And that got through to the players.
Don’t forget the calibre of the Dutch side on the night. Don’t take anything away from them and a lot of people wouldn’t have realised this, but they actually won the Intercontinental Cup – aka World Club Championship – when they beat Argentina’s Estudiantes 3-2 on aggregate later that year. They won 1-0 in Rotterdam and drew 2-2 in La Plata.
Actually, they came from two goals down in that game to force the draw, so that surely underlines how good they were. Take my word for it, though, we would still have beaten them in a replay.
Do you think that the Lisbon achievement helped the wider Scottish public accept Celtic and its supporters more than was previously the case?
Definitely. I knew Rangers supporters who applauded our European victory. Privately, of course. Their players, too, talked about our achievement. Scottish football benfited greatly from Celtic’s presence. We showed the world we could play in a sporting and praiseworthy manner. We were good for Scotland and, of course, our supporters are now, rightly, recognised as among the best in the world – if not THE best.
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Immediately after the European Cup Final, I took to the streets with my pals to play football. I was doing one of those commentating while I played routines. ‘And Gemmell shoots’ I shouted as I didn’t quite connect with the ball, kicked the ground and ripped the sole off my school shoes. My mother blames you to this day. My question is, do you think 47 years is long enough to hold a grudge?
I think 47 years is long enough to take your shoes to the cobblers. And, by the way, did you just say, ‘And Gemmell shoots’? Shouldn’t it have been,‘Gemmell shoots…and Gemmell scores’?.
A question for Tommy, my favourite Lisbon Lion! Do you still think the incident with Haller was the beginning of the end as far as your Celtic playing career?
No, not all. Celtic frowned on one of their players being sent off while on international duty, of course, and I was punished by being dropped for the League Cup Final against St.Johnstone. Remember, I was still good enough to be selected for the European Cup Final against Feyenoord in 1970. It was December 1971 when I finally left the club I loved, so there was a lot of football played with Celtic between the Haller incident on October 1969 and when I moved to Nottingham Forest.
Tommy, I’m too young to have seen you play in the flesh, but when I hear your name the first thing that comes to mind (as well as that goal in Lisbon) is thundering long-range shots. Is that something you could always do or was it a case of mastering the technique? Also, is there anyone else in your day or the modern game who you think could strike the ball harder?
It was a question of practice, hopefully, making perfect. I spent around 25 to 30 minutes after the usual training sessions at Barrowfield bombarding Ronnie Simpson or John Fallon with long-range drives. I worked on the technique throughout my career. I don’t know about anyone being able to strike the ball harder. It’s a lighter ball, for a start.
Which player in your professional career was the toughest opponent to play against?
Jinky in training! Seriously, Bestie was always a handful. I played against him in internationals and in friendless and he was always a real threat. Like Jinky, he had the heart of a lion. There’s no way the Manchester United legend was ever intimidated. A smashing wee guy on and off the pitch. And I can’t forget Wee Willie Henderson. The Rangers winger was one of the top players in his heyday.
I wasn’t lucky enough to have seen the Lions in the flesh (just a few short years ahead of my time), but it annoys me when I hear talk of Rinus Michels and Ajax being the founders of Total Football. I can only speak of the games I’ve seen on TV, but from the Final in Lisbon alone, I’d have to say Big Jock and you and your team-mates were the originators of Total Football. In the big scheme of things it’s not a massive headache, but have you any thoughts on this and outside of Scotland do you think that performance in Lisbon has not been given the weight in history that it should have done?
The Dutch got the credit for Total Football, but, you’re right, we were doing something similar at Celtic from the early days of Big Jock. He wanted players to play to their strengths and be comfortable when they were on the ball.
I could have been an outside-left if you look at the way we played. Bobby Murdoch was a genuine two-footed player who could easily have adapted to life on the left. John Hughes could perform on either flank as well as centre-forward. Willie Wallace, Stevie Chalmers and Bobby Lennox could also operate in wide areas.
And Wee Bertie kicked off his career as a left-winger before moving inside as a midfielder. So, yes, there was a lot of versatility in the team. Jim Craig didn’t score a lot of goals, but he did an awful lot of unselfish running up and down the right wing. And what can I say about Wee Jinky? He could roam all over the place and look the part anywhere.
He might have struggled at centre-half, though! I think Celtic got a lot of deserved praise throughout Europe for the way we performed in Lisbon. The name of the club may not have had the glamour of Real Madrid or Barcelona, but I think we proved once and for all on that unforgettable day that we were not a collection of country bumpkins from Scotland. We were a team of class and substance.
Question to Mr Gemmell in my best Jim White voice, ‘How come you’re so good?’ Thank you, Tommy, for nearly a full lifetime of pointing to the Big Cup and saying to Them, ‘Look what we won!’ Thank you, thank you and thank you again!
Thank you, too! Why was I so good? Very kind of you to say so. Personal accolades are all well and good, but I never lost sight of what I had to do in the Celtic team. I was part of a unit. I may have hit the headlines with the odd howitzer, but John Clark could have played as big a part in any victory in his quiet manner in the heart of our defence. He rarely got the headlines, but all the players knew what he provided on an exceptional and consistent basis.
Tommy, in his autobiography, Bertie Auld said he loved playing with you. Was he any good?
No, I believe he was well over-rated! No-one would have ever heard of him if it wasn’t for me doing all his work on the left-hand side of the pitch. Only joking, Bertie! What a player and what a left peg. He and Bobby Murdoch were the best midfielders I ever played with. Wee Bertie was the finished article – he could tackle, pass and shoot. Not bad for a guy with only one foot!
I was at the 3-0 Benfica game as an 11 year old when you scored that belter. My question is, ‘What was the feeling after that game, was it that we were comfortably through or did you expect a tough return leg?’
We knew it would be difficult in the Stadium of Light. Okay, we were three goals ahead, but Benfica were an attacking team who scored goals for fun in their national league. And no team with a player such as the great Eusebio could ever be written off. That was a hard night in Lsbon, but, thankfully I’ve got better memories of the Portuguese capital.
Tommy! Will chance my arm and ask two questions! You are one of the most successful Celts of all time, but, of course, the start of your career was a time of failure for Celtic. Even as late as 1964 Celtic seemed destined for continued mediocrity. As a professional in the early, early part of your career, what were your thoughts AT THE TIME about the club, the management and your own and Celtic’s future? Also, you often played behind John Hughes in your career. Big Yogi was another of my all-time favourites, but he struggled for consistency. At his best, one of the most exciting players I’ve ever seen, when off form, though…Anyway, can you recall any specific occasion when John made you go WOW? (In a good way lol).
First up, I was chuffed when Celtic signed me. I always dreamed of playing for Motherwell, but thank goodness that never happened. Celtic may have been in a bit of turmoil at the time, but they were still a massive club. People kept referring to them as ‘a sleeping giant’ and I just wanted to play my part in helping to bring them out of their slumber!
I always saw my future at Celtic.
I never hankered after a move and was only too willing to do what was necessary to get the club back to its rightful place at the top. Big Jock gave the place a real shake when he arrived and deserves great credit for that. There was no longer any interfering from above in team matters. It’s was Jock’s way or no way.
Yogi could be exciting and exasperating, but what a player when he was on form. To be fair, he was more often brilliant than not. He caused defences no end of hassle when he was on song. At times he was unstoppable. I recall his one-man show against Rangers in January 1966 when we were trailing 1-0 at the interval. Yogi ran amok in the second-half, shredded the right side of their rearguard and they fell apart. Stevie Chalmers, with a hat-trick, Charlie Gallagher and Bobby Murdoch scored in a fabulous 5-1 win.
Inconsistent? Name me a player who was 100 per cent consistent.
I have two questions for Mr Gemmell. Do you think that Celtic will ever appear in another European Final? And even mediocre, modern-day players make far more money than you did in your prime, do you resent this?
I’m assuming you mean the Champions League Final. That’s the big one and that’s where Celtic deserve to be although, of course, the UEFA Cup Final in Seville will always be a great memory and an incredible feat in reaching that stage. What a pity we lost!
I would like to think it is possible for Celtic to grace another Final in the top-flight competition, but, obviously, it would be an extremely difficult task. I can always hope and dream. As regards the cash flying around football at the moment, I have to say I don’t resent the current players their good fortune to be operating in an era when satellite TV is pouring millions into the game. Good luck to them.
When I was playing, we were earning more than the working man. Mind you, I wasn’t looking for untold riches when I kicked off. I think I started with £7 and that rose to £12, then £18 and up to £25 before the basic wage was pegged at £40 while I was still a young player. Remember, too, there were bonuses on top plus appearance money. And, thankfully, we started getting a lot of win bonuses from 1965 on!
Regarding your goal against Feyenoord in the Final in Milan. Was that one you had worked on in training? Was it knocked back to you to give you more room to score? I am surprised more teams do not use this as a way of getting more room to get the ball up and over a wall or through it as your shot did? Or were you just aiming for the referee’s backside?
We worked on that routine in training every day. When we were awarded that free-kick and Bobby Murdoch stepped up to take it, I knew exactly what he was going to do. No, I didn’t aim for Italian referee Concetto Lo Bello’s rear end, but I have to say it was a very strange place for him to stand behind the Feyenoord wall. I’ve never seen a referee adopt that position since. He did a good job of getting out of the way of my shot, didn’t he?
What importance did Jock Stein put on trophies? Did he set out to win them all or was there a slide rule of trophies that Celtic would play for? Outwith European success, which trophy win or match gave you the most satisfaction as a player? My auld man met you once at a Player of the Year dance in Newcastle. He had somehow blagged his way into the function and was giving you stick about your nose and you said to him, ‘I might have a big nose, but you have a big mouth!’ Still tells that story to this day. I think he took great pleasure in a Lisbon Lion having the banter with him. The Lisbon Lions are not heroes to him they are gods!
Big Jock sent us out to win EVERY game. It didn’t matter if it was a Cup Final or a friendly, he expected his team to be victorious in them all. So, he didn’t pick and choose – he wanted EVERY trophy EVERY year. As I have stated elsewhere, the 1965 Scottish Cup win over Dunfermline gave the players a lot of confidence and got the club back on the trophy-winning trail after being in the wilderness for far too long. Yes, that ‘you’ve got a big mouth’ was my normal reponse to the cheeky buggers who had a go at my hooter!
Tommy, I’ve just come across a photograph taken shortly after Celtic had beaten Hibs 6-2 in the 1969 League Cup Final. You are holding a bottle of beer and sporting a moustache! Can you tell us about that game and that moustache?
I didn’t have that moustache for too long. I grew it as a sort of experiment. It had as many colours as an average rainbow! The game against Hibs was fairly memorable – Jim Craig scored one of his rare goals for the club that afternoon. Bobby Lennox hammered in a hat-trick and Willie Wallace and Bertie Auld got the others. We were leading 6-0 with about 10 minutes to play when Hibs got their consolation goals. That was a very good win for us because the Edinburgh outfit were really strong at the time. They had players such as Pat Stanton, John Blackley, Peter Marinello, Peter Cormack, Jimmy O’Rourke and Eric Stevenston in their line-up. They were a nice team to watch, but they had no answer to Celtic that afternoon.
Tommy Gemmell! WOW! Just WOW! I wish I could think of a question worthy of the man! Have you ever been star struck, Tommy?
Yes, when I was a kid I used to watch Motherwell train. They were known as ‘The Ancell Babes’ after manager Bobby Ancell. I would rush from my house down to Fir Park to snatch a glimpse of my heroes. The club let the local youngsters in to see the players going through their routines. What struck me was the lack of ball work. It seemed all the players were asked to do was run round the pitch about one hundred times without stopping! They had stars such as Ian St.John, who joined Liverpool in 1961, Pat Quinn, Andy Weir, Andy Paton, Archie Shaw and Willie Hunter. I was in total awe of those guys.
Questions from Celtic Supporters. Answers from Tommy Gemmell.